The present invention is concerned with a novel method of polymerizing sulfur containing compounds in an aqueous medium.
Preparation of certain high molecular weight sulfur containing polymers has proven extremely difficult because sulfur which is not in its highest oxidation state scavenges radicals during the polymerization process so as to stop growth of the polymeric chain. In addition, cross-linking may readily occur due to formation of disulfide bridges between polymer chains. As disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 520,983 entitled, "Novel Polymeric Derivatives of Tetrazole-5-Thiols and Their Metal and Ammonium Salts" and filed by M. J. Grasshoff and J. L. Reid, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,401 a monomer linked to a tetrazole-5-thiol can be polymerized in an organic medium if the tetrazole's sulfur substituent is first masked. The extra steps of masking and unmasking the sulfur substituent in a compound such as this are of course undesirable.